It is known in regard to utility vehicles in particular to provide, in addition to the actual load-bearing axle suspension which absorbs the vertically acting weight of the axle, another support which comprises e.g. individual, obliquely extending connecting arms or an A-frame arm which engages via the tip thereof at a joint head carried by a journal-like retaining body, and is retained at the other end on longitudinal frame parts of the chassis. Such an A-frame arm can also provide lateral guidance for the axle body, for example.
An embodiment of a multi-piece A-frame arm is found in DE 102 19 708 A1, for example.
To movably support such connecting arms or similar connecting arms on the axle body, a journal-like retaining body is known, which, in the installed state, extends upwardly from the axle body, approximately in the region of the expanded differential housing thereof, and has a joint head at which the connecting arm or arms engage. This retaining body is often designed as a forged piece and is expanded in the manner of a flange in the base region thereof to enable connection above thereof to the axle body, often using threaded connections. This component, which is usually forged and is often also referred to as a journal flange, is highly stressed during vehicle operation. The flange-type base piece expansion results in a complicated design, however, in which the flange expansion extends approximately at a right angle to the journal axis. As such, it is very difficult to realize a fiber orientation in the material in the forging process that ensures that the fibers extend through the entire component and do not protrude anywhere along the extension thereof. The service life and safety margin of this component therefore differ greatly depending on the fiber orientation. Since such a component cannot be subjected to material testing in a non-destructive manner in regard to the fiber orientation, uncertainties arise regarding premature failure of the component.